Partition sheet for binders



" Sep t."l3 193 2. A. M. MARTIN 1,876,998

PARTITION SHEET FOR BINDERS Filed May 25, 1929 Patented Sept. 13, 1932 t i v UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED M. MARTIN, or o rroaeo, rumors .PARTITION seam." Eon BINDERS w I 'j Application filed. May 25', 1929. Serial No. 365,853.

These improvements relate to what are in various ways sheet material of uniform known as partition sheets or division sheets thickness. for loose-leaf binders. The main object of the present improve- My Patent No. 1,269,479 of June 11, 1918, ments,o1ike that of the device of Figs. 8 and on loose-leaf binders shows a type of loose- 9 of my first-mentioned patent andthe deleaf binder with which the present partition vice of my secondly-mentioned patent, is to sheet is peculiarly advantageous. In that provide a division or partition sheet for such patent Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a form of paruses which will occupy space between adtition sheet described therein as an indexed jacent series of the overlapped cards, pref- The account leaves referred to in said of the overlapping series, whereby each series patent arethe sheets or cards on which the will be maintained more nearly fiatwhenthe record is kept. They are of various sizes-and book is opened and therefore be more free I are usually of strong paper stock of ordinary of the upwardlybulging effect of the middle thickness. Their depth (from top to bottom) portion of the series, with certain advanis such that they may be applied to the binder tages inv practice such as a more free moveprongs in overlapped relation with a. narrow ment of the cards on the binder prongs, (the portion of each card exposed, thus forming a cards being relieved of a certain objectionseries-of'such cards from top to bottom of the able binding thereon due to the curvature leai for separating the account leaves. erably at both the topand bottomeportions zg binder. Such overlapping of the cards causes of the series as pointedout), and since the 70 the thickness of the series to build up grad;- cards or sheets or account leaves lie more ually in the direction in which the cards or approximately flat, the making of notations sheets are applied, reaching its maximum thereon is facilitated, and, further, one or where there is a maximum of such cards overseveral complete series ofrecord cards orlapping each other, the thickness then diminsheets may be moved bodily or en masse' from ishing toward the opposite end of the series. one side of the book to the other more freely. Ordinarily the greatest thickness of the seand'more easily. ries develops in the central'portion, measur- In. this connection it may be mentioned ing from top to bottom. that-the maintenance of such a flat surface at 7 am A single binder may contain a largenumthe top of the series is of particular; ad

her of such series of overlapped sheets, say vantage in the act of writing onj the upper twenty-five or more. Withthe ordinary flat cards since otherwise this upper. portion of. division or partition sheets between these the;se ries would slope downward and away respective series the book or binder device from the writer. Such a slope may be to -inay be filled solidly throughout the'middle qulte a great extent; for instance there ay 85 portion thereof while atthetop' and bottom be adifference of more than an inch and a portions there is considerable free space behalf between the thickness at the middle and tween the covers. This arises from the fact at the ends in-a binder designedfor two-inch that at the very top andat the very bottom capacity. p 1 40 of the device theremay be only say twenty- The present improvements have for one 90 five of the cards between the two outer covspecific object the provision of material ers, while at the same time there may be in which may be made as a long-web and then the middle two hundred and fifty or more of cut'into the desired substantially rectangular such cards between the opposed, covers. shape, whereby the cost of production of the My Pa-tent No.1,663,017 of March 20, 1928, device may be reduced. Another object is'to 95 entitled Partition sheets for loose-leaf deprovide'a sheet which is substantially of evenvices illustrates, describes and claims'another and regular contour'throughout whereby cerform of partitionsheet in' which the effective tain disadvantages arisingfrom. projecting thickening of the upper and lower portions parts are substantially avoided. Anotherobof the sheets is accomplishedby embossing ject is to provide a sheet which issubstantially flat and of a continuous surface throughout at least one of the face surfaces thereof, to provide a flat writing or rest surface for record sheets thereon. There are certain advantages, too, in a homogeneous and substantially uniform construction, partly residing in general satisfaction to the user and which is of commercial importance. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspectiv view showing the normally lower face surface of my improved partition sheet, in a pre-' ferred embodiment;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary and sectional view, as on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the sheet being turned over, however, as by swinging it on the edge 13;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing modifi cations; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 44 of Fig. 3, the sheet, however, being swung around as in Fig. 2.

The partition sheet 10 of Fig. 1 has an upper edge 11, a lower edge 12, an inner edge 13, and an outer edge 14 defining a substantially rectangular shape for the sheet in face view. Sometimes the corners of such sheets are rounded. Along the edge 13 is a row of perforations 15 adapted to receive the binder prongs and constituting means for holding the sheet in the binder. it is be understood that the cards, sheets or account leaves on which the records are kept are similarly punched with holes to receive the impaling prongs. e

As shown by Fig. 2 the middle portion 16 of the sheet is flat, of substantially uniform thickness, and thin. This portion 16 may have the thickness of ordinary partition sheets. From this middle portion 16 the upper portion 17 and the lower portion 18 gradually increase in thickness toward the top and bottom edges 11 and 12 respectively whereby the sheet is substantially thick at or approximately at these upper and lower edges. The left hand end of Fig. 4 shows that by rounding or some other configurations given to an edge portion as 12 the thickness in question may be somewhat removed from the exact edge, although the desired object would still be attained, effects the thickening should extend sub stantially as far as does the superposed series of record cards or sheets.

Fig. 2 shows that the normally upper surface 20 of the sheet 10 is flat. According to the preferred construction t--at surface 20 is continuous and without any projections or depressions. That surface is normally immediately under a series of record cards or sheets when the binder is open and lying on a table top or the like and the division sh set is on the right-hand side of the binder. The operator works on that ri ht-hand side. Fig.

depth as viewed in Fig. l)

and for ne desired 1 therefore shows the normally lower face of the sheet, which is true also of Fig. 3. The flat and even surface 20 provides that writing may advantageously be done upon the superposed record cards or sheets and without such interference as would result from an uneven surface. Such interference would be appreciated by the user chiefly at the upper and lower portions respectively of the series of record sheets, at which places the number of such record sheets may be only one or several of them in overlapped relation.

The gradually thickening portions 17 and 18 of Figs. 1 and 2 are. provided at intervals between the inner edge 13 and the outer edge 14 with a plurality or series of grooves, recesses or depressions 21 extending from the edges 11 and 12 respectively toward the middle portion 16. These recesses 21 are preferably substantially narrow whereby the intervening spaces 22 are substantially wide whereby the sheet as a whole on the face sur face v wed in Fig. 1 is more nearly continuous and not pronouncedly broken so far as general effects are concerned. Stated otherwise, the breaks in the continuity of the facing surface having the recesses are substantially narrow.

The recesses 21, illustrated for the most part in Fig. 1, are substantially rectangular trough-like depressions, but at 24 I have shown one of them rounded and at 25 one of them li -shaped, indicating that these depressions may be of various shapes or contours.

The depressions as 21, 24 and 25 constitute means for rendering the upper and lower relatively heavy portions '17 and 18 more flexible, especially whereby such sheets may flex or how after the manner of the leaves of an ordinary book when the edge portion at 13 is held in the binder.

The depressions or recesses 21 are shown by Fig. 2 as being of such limited extent (or that the upper and lower portions 17 and 18 are somewhat thicker at the bottom of the recesses respectively than is the material at the middle portion 16. This provision is made to strength en the construction against tearing or breaking where the recesses emerge at the upper and lower edges 11 and 12.

The recesses as 21, 24 and 25 are preferably directed in lines parallel to each other and to the side edges 13 and 14, and preferably also whereby recesses in the upper portion are directed toward corresponding recesses in the lower portion. The sheet as a whole will flex more readily on the lines of these recesses and the flexure of the sheet as a whole will be more uniform if the recesses be so directed.

Probably the most advantageous material for such flexible sheets is paper although the invention is not limited thereto. Among the advantages of paper for the article are that ,ing is shown may be made in to practices well To the material for the device sheets or in strips according understood in the paper-making art. this end rollers would be provided sheet the desired configuration, one roller being cylindrical and the coacting one having a shape converse face surface inFig. 2, with projections arranged on the periphery thereof corresponding to the recesses as 21, or as 2 1 orv 25, as the case may be. The web of material could be wide enough to produce several of the division sheets in end-to-end arrangement across the web, and as the web could be made continuously it would be only a matter of slitting longitudinally and cutting transversely as the web finally issues from the rolls to produce the article complete except for such punching of holes and rounding of corners as may be desired.

Such paper or other fibrous material may be reinforced along an edge or edges by any appropriate form of binding. For this purposethe preferred binding is such as would .be applied in liquid form, as by dipping the sheet into the liquid, the liquid penetrating among the fibers of the material and finally hardening. A cellulose compound would be suitable. Such a bindby stippling at 27, 28, 29 and 30. A feature of advantage is that the holes 15 throughout the portions 17 and 18 are through thicker stock than as. usual, and the greater strength thus provided is at places respectively on the sheet where it is proportionately most needed, the greatest need being at the extreme top and bottom of the line of holes. The device may be made also by taking a sheet of such loosely woven or coarser-texture fibrous material as blotting paper, of the required thickness, and pressing it between dies in a hydraulic press, with moisture and/or heat if preferred, according to the characteristics of the article desired or those of the material used.

Turning to Figs. 3 merely the departures vice of Figs. 1 and 2.

First, there are no means shown in Figs. 3 and 1 for rendering the thicker portions 30 and 31 more flexible, this construction contemlating the use of material which is sufficiently flexible otherwise, for example paper stock not as tightly rolled or pressed as is contern plated for the device of Fig. 1, or a composition of other including rubber. At 30a and 31a I have shown the upper and lower face surfaces of the sheet parallel, to a small extent, thus avoiding an acute angle at the extreme edge more likely to fray and giving the top and bottom edges a somewhat different feel when the leaves are handled in the book. I have also shown the lower edge 32 rounded, which may avoid some fraying or raggedness edge portion of the and 4 I shall describe thereof from the deto give the to that of the lowersubstances, for example one atthe edge. due to wear. The binding feature. shown at 27, 28, 29 and 30 of Fig. 1 maybe used-with the device of Fig. 3,.at one or more edge. portions as preferred. a t .Ifthe ,device were :madenwith. -only..one x thickened portion, as 1?- or 30, leaving therest of the sheet thin anduniform likethe middle part 16, advantageous results. could 'be' had bylinserting the sheets in thebinder with the thickenedportion .of one sheet at the top and l of the next sheet at the bottom and thus reversing and alternating .throughout the book. The invention is not limited therefore. to a construction. having'both ends thickened.

' I desire to point use certain types ofbinders adapted to hold recordcards or sheets in overlapped relation wherein thesame bulging ofthe middle part of the series ofrecord sheets occurs, but inwhich 'binders it is not necessary and some- 1 times 7 not desirable that the partition sheet be flexible to any substantial extent; if at-all, in up and down lines parallel with the inner edge as 13. In [such case the device of Figs. 3 and 4 may be of substantiallyhardrolled, pressed orotherwise formed material of such characteristics as would render the er and lower endpo'rtion's 30 and 31'substantially inflexible under the conditions of ordinary use, and the same would apply to the device-described'in the paragraph next hereinabove as having but one end thickened. The invention is therefore not limited to a device havingthe substantial amount of flexibility'onup and down lines as contemplated bythe preferred construction.

I contemplate as being included in these improvements all such changes, variations and departures from what is thus specifically illustrated and described as fall within? the scope of the appended claims. 1 Y

I claim:

1. A partition sheet for loose-leaf binders of the character described, said sheet being substantially rectangular in face view and having a top edge, a bottom edge, an inner side edge and an outer side edge defining the substantially rectangular shape, the sheet having means atits inner side edge portion for holding the sheet in a binder, said sheet being of integral construction and of flexible material, said material being substantially thin at the middle portion thereof substantially from one side edge to the other side edge and being substantially thick at upper and lower portions thereof respectively, said substantially thick portions respectively having substantially plane surfaces and having recesses therein extending from the top and bottom edges respectively toward the middle portion of the sheet.

'2. The combination of claim 1 hereof in which said sheet gradually increases in thickness from the middle portion toward the top out also that there are in and bottom edges respectively and is of fibrous material.

3; The combination of claim 1: hereof in which the relatively thickupper and lower portions of said sheet have recesses therein extending from theupper and lower edges respectively toward the middle portion of the sheet, said recesses defining a thickness of the sheet at the bottom of the recesses rem spectivelyswhich is greater than that of the middle portion of the sheet.

7 4. The combination of claim 1 hereof in which said middle portion of the sheet is of substantially uniform thickness and the face 5/ thereof is of relatively large extent in the up anddown direction, the face of the respective, upper and lower relatively thick portions of the sheet being of relatively small extent in the up and down directions.

we 5. The combination of claim 1 hereof in which the upper andlower relatively thick portions of the sheet have recesses therein eX- tending from the top and bottom edges respectivelytoward and merging into the face 257 area of the middle portion of the sheet, all of said recesses being on one side of the sheet.

6. A partition sheet for'loose-leaf binders of the character described, said sheet being substantially rectangular and having an inner side edge and an outer side edge defining the substantially rectangular shape, the sheet having means at the inner side edge portion thereof for holding it in the binder, said sheet being of integral construction and of flexible material'and being substantially thin at the middle portion thereof and gradually increasingin thickness from said middle por tion, and to a material extent, toward and substantiallyvto an edge of the sheet other than a side edge thereof, with recesses in said substantially thick portions extending in the up-and-down directions of the sheetfor the purposes specified.

' ALFRED M. MARTIN. 

